Then (front row, center) and other industry players posing for a photo in front of her spa. – Photo by Mohd Rais Sanusi.
KUCHING (Nov 28): Spa and wellness industry players hopes that they will be re-categorised as the beauty industry instead of under the entertainment industry so that they can reopen their businesses like those in the beauty industry during the Covid-19 pandemic.
Attiya Spa & Massages owner Dr May Then said that the industry players had been told to close up for about five months this year and faced financial difficulties as they had to keep up with rent, salaries, foreign worker visas and licenses.
“We are grouped together under entertainment category but we are actually doing same service as the beauty industry. If a person can wash hair or face, why can’t we provide massage service? The distance between the staff to the customer is the same.
“We need the understanding and sympathy from SDMC, the vulnerable blind masseurs and baby spas operators livelihood are also affected by this,” she told a press conference at her spa today.
She pointed out that the spa and wellness industry had never created a Covid-19 cluster, yet those like the gym industry which did, were allowed to reopen today when the Conditional Movement Control Order (CMCO) ended yesterday, which is unfair.
She added that federal and Sabah government has never ordered a lockdown on spa and wellness centres, and this industry was actually under the Ministry of Tourism, Arts and Culture, not entertainment category.
“We are providing services in wellness, help ease aches and pain, helping frontliners to relax and reduce stress. We have been very cooperative with the government and observe all the SOPs (standard operating procedures) and we even went a step further by getting all our therapists to shower and change into clean uniform after attending to each customer.
“We are happy that Kuching has become yellow zone, but we are still not allowed to open. We would like SDMC to visit and evaluate for themselves our establishment to correct their negative perception before passing crucial decisions that affect people’s’ livelihood.
“We are doing legal and healthy services. We should be treated fairly in this horrible pandemic. We do not want to rebel or challenge the authorities but we want you to hear our pain,” Then said.
She added that the industry players were not begging for financial assistance but to allow them to find their own financial support in their own business.
She wondered if the industry will only be allowed to reopen when a vaccine or cure is found.
She said that if an establishment has positive case, it’s alright to close it down, allowing it to sanitise and reopen after 14 days, but not closed down the entire industry.
Meanwhile, Malaysian Association of Wellness and Spa state director Dennis Tan said that the closure of the industry affected thousands of its members and they are suffering as they have no income.
It affects the livelihood of thousands throughout Sarawak, and one worker’s salary is to support a whole family, he said.
“Please look at our situation and let us reopen. We are cooperating with the government but we are not allowed to reopen. Our right of life is our livelihood. Let us earn our living,” he said.
The CMCO in Kuching which started on Nov 9 ended yesterday, but entertainment outlets like nightclubs, pubs, karaoke and reflexology centres are not allowed to reopen. This was announced by the SDMC yesterday, adding that it is one of the Recovery Movement Control Order and implemented statewide. The closure of entertainment outlets is effective until further notice.
Present at the press conference were association members and spa and wellness business owners.